Educational research: Which way now?

Abstract

The British Educational Research Association (BERA) was established 44 years ago, in 1974, at the height of the postwar expansion of education, and at the onset of a long period of controversy and reform of education that has continued ever since. The presidential address for 2017 looks back to reflect on the birth and early years of BERA, on its founding principles and the circumstances in which it grew. It does so to identify the ideals that motivated and helped to shape the nascent organisation, and to ask how relevant and useful these are at a very different time, charting our future in the twenty‐first century. More broadly, this address moves beyond an institutional history and a history of ideas, to contribute to a social history of educational research based on a wide range of documentary and archival evidence. In considering our past, we must attempt to resist an uncritical and functional approach in favour of a critical and reflective outlook that is alert to unresolved issues and problems, no less than it is to success and progress in our collective endeavours. This is necessary partly in order to reconstruct our historical experience in a robust manner, but also to address our present situation in an effective way. In 1977, the historian Brian Simon framed his presidential address to BERA around the key question ‘Educational research: which way?’ Forty years on, we can appraise how BERA has approached this question, and also ask at the same time: which way now?

Fred Clarke, the Institute of Education (London) and educational studies

“…This was supplemented by comprehensive listings of research, begun by Oliver (1946) at Manchester University, and leading to large-scale surveys of research by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER, 1976-78) as the field expanded in the 1950s and 1960s (McCulloch and Cowan, 2018: Chapter 6;Blackwell, 1958). Separate societies for different groups of researchers also sprang up from the 1960s, and the establishment of the British Educational Research Association (BERA) marked a further key stage in representation at a national level for educational research as a whole (see McCulloch and Cowan, 2018;McCulloch, 2018). Nevertheless, there continued to be criticisms of a lack of effective coordination, and in 2018 there appeared a new report, Harnessing Educational Research, the product of a four-year collaboration between the British Academy and the Royal Society (2018: 6), highlighting 'areas where flows are missing or need to be strengthened; uncover [ing] tensions or barriers between the actors in the ecosystem that need to be addressed; and identify [ing] facilitators that would enable improvements in the ecosystem'.…”

“…This externalist emphasis, while certainly valid in its awareness of wider social change, may overlook the necessity of key institutions to be in a position to lead and shape the direction of change. At the same time, institutional histories that dwell on internal relationships often neglect their connection to the wider society, and their deeper significance as social history (McCulloch, 2018). Nevertheless, the institutional base and individual commitment also matter, and can make a difference for wider developments at regional, national and even international levels.…”

Some clarifications on educational research and practice

“…It seems very much aware of this delicate balance of educational knowledge, and also concerned about the challenges for the future of educational research, as can be seen in some of the recent contributions from BERA presidents (e.g. McCulloch, 2018; Moss, 2016). There is no sign of BERA attempting any imperialism, and there was certainly no inference or allegation of imperialism regarding BERA in Hordern (2021).…”

Why close to practice is not enough: Neglecting practice in educational research

“…Meanwhile, debates about the substance and purpose of education are often glided over in the pursuit of ever more rigorous research methods, a process that has tended to foreground certain specific objectives for educational activity and relegated others (Biesta, 2009). This changing landscape has led to proposals for significant change in the governance and organisation of research (Royal Society/British Academy, 2018), and refuelled longstanding debates within academic educational research communities around how to maintain relevance and engagement in policy (McCulloch, 2018). Meanwhile, new research organisations enter the market ready to provide the research outputs required by governments and other powerful bodies intent on enhancing the efficacy of education.…”